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Natsume Ono's Futagashira Manga Gets Live-Action Drama
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Natsume Ono's Futagashira manga will get a live-action drama adaptation on the WOWOW channel starting in June. The show will air on Saturdays at 10:00 p.m.
The story is set in the Edo period and centers around two men who have left their thieving ring, the "Akame Gang," to strike out on their own journey. Ken'ichi Matsuyama (live-action Death Note's L, live-action Gantz's Masaru, live-action Bunny Drop's Daikichi, pictured left) will star in the drama as the frank thief Benzō, and actor and stage actor Taichi Saotome (Nobunaga Concerto, Crows Explode, Hakuoki stage play's Hijikata Toshizo, pictured right) will co-star as the cool playboy Sōji.
Yū Irie (Joker Game, Hibi Rock, All Esper Dayo!) will direct the film, and Kazuki Nakashima (Gurren Lagann, Kill la Kill scriptwriter) will write the script.
Ono launched the historical manga series in Shogakukan's Monthly Ikki magazine in May 2011. After Shogakukan suspended publication of Monthly Ikki last year, Futagashira will resume publication in Shogakukan's new magazine Hibana starting on March 6. Shogakukan will also ship the fifth compiled volume on March 6.
Since she made her debut in 2003 with La Quinta Camera - 5 Banme no Heya, Ono's works have included House of Five Leaves, Ristorante Paradiso, Gente - Ristorante no Hitobito, Tesoro, and Not Simple. Viz Media is publishing all of these titles in North America. Kodansha Comics also published Ono's Danza manga in English. Other manga by Ono include ACCA 13-Ku Kansatsu-Ka and the House of Five Leaves spinoff manga Kozure Dōshin.
Both Ristorante Paradiso and House of Five Leaves have been adapted into late-night television anime series in Japan.
Images © Natsume Ono / Shogakukan
© 2015 WOWOW / Hori Pro
Sources: Mainichi Shimbun's Mantan Web, Comic Natalie
